Getting ready for a Goodgym mission for the first time since October 26th and putting on the Goodgym t-shirt again was a good feeling!

Being Goodgym mission rusty meant I forgot to wear the correct shoes, a head torch and even gloves (big mistake considering it would be a gardening task!)

Arriving at the Sprowston community hub on a very dark evening meant it was difficult to navigate to the task without a torch, but the greenhouses shining bright in the distance were a sign that activity was nearby as well as being a great guide for where to go. Inside the greenhouse busy at work, were Bill and Elizabeth with the task co-ordinator ready to explain the task. We were to separate and move six Bellis Perennis from trays to pots, making sure to fill the new pots 3/4 with soil as well as label them too. Jonathan was sometimes guilty of misplacing the sharpie pen, much to Elizabeth’s annoyance!

The evening didn’t go by too quickly or too slowly, it was just about right and was time well spent in good company. We even had some helpful gardening tips from the task coordinator, including not to overwater onions as well as discovering which plant companions are best for certain vegetables. A notepad is probably recommended to take note of the many tips! Conversation turned to discussing the positives of keeping a diary and dancing. Elizabeth even treated us to a brief dance!

Jonathan also took a moment to show off his shiny Goodgym 5k medal, which took place in October for the first Goodgym virtual 5K.

It's getting darker, so after a bit of faffing around in the drizzling rain five runners found each other and the garden center. Rachel, Ian, Elizabeth, Bobby and myself were well instructed by Mike, our host.

Rachel deseeded a pumpkin (another Halloween discipline you probably didn't know of) and Bobby made a wonderful decoration ball of succulents. The rest of us put bulbs and sprouts for next year in pots and trays of wonderful compost soil - irises, narcissi, peas and bellis.

With the fingers buried in soil and good talks under the fluorescent lights this was another HYGGE* Community Mission with GoodGym!!

*HYGGE is the Danish word for a cozy, nice, wonderful time :-)

Arriving at the Sprowston community Hub for the second task of the day, it was heavily pouring with rain and quite dark to navigate to the task location with many puddles and mud to avoid. Definitely time to start wearing hi-vis and a head torch! Stumbling along the grass in the dark and with the light of the greenhouses shining in the distance, I could hear the familiar voices of Goodgymers who had just finished the first session. “A bit dark isn’t it?!” one Goodgymer shouted over. It was so dark I could only just make out who said it. Although the figure was very tall, so it could only be Darren.

Todays task would be inside the large greenhouses, so masks were needed! Congratulations were said to both Jonathan (for his 50th good dead) and Mark (his 25th) with Elizabeth kindly supplying a 50th celebration badge! There was to be no celebratory visit to the pub afterwards this time though.

With Kathryn and Elizabeth already busy with their tasks, varnishing wood and painting a shelving unit, Mark, Jonathan and Elliot (wearing his black Goodgym t-shirt for the first time) headed to the back of the polytunnel to have their tasks described to them by the task co-ordinator and very specific tasks they were! They were to remove and separate lavender from a huge pot and transfer them individually to other pots. The old soil was to be recycled for growing strawberries. They were then to create two new pots with layered bulbs of Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinths and Crocus’. Elliot’s head torch and spare garden gloves came in very handy!

There was a panic in the greenhouse though as Kathryn accidentally dropped some paint on her running gear. Hopefully it washes out!

With the two new pots completed, there was plenty of time left to then complete the next task which was to remove two hydrangeas from a huge pot and transfer them separately to new pots. That was soon done and with everyone having competed their tasks but with 10 minutes to spare, and feeling like school pupils getting to leave class early, we waited for clarification from the task co-ordinator if we could leave. He gave the thumbs up and off we went before the school bell rang!

There was still time for one more hair-raising moment. With it being so dark outside, Jonathan slipped on a huge pile of mud and what seemed like a certain slip and slide into a mud bath and with flashbacks of the roller blading social earlier in the year, he somehow managed to maintain balance this time and stay upright, but at what cost? Cutting his finger a bit on a brick wall.

It was a very wet evening but it didn't stop 10 GoodGymers turning up to do the 1st session at Sprowston Community Hub to complete several jobs for Mike.

Paul got stuck into cutting the overgrown Sycamore tree back. Rachel was painting. Cheska and Katie were varnishing. Andy and Sam fixed a new wooden bin. Stephen, Darren and myself cleared a flower bed at the front of the building. Bill was on wheelbarrow duties to collect the green rubbish from the different areas.

Lots of work done in a short time and it was good to see some faces from Group 2 who were taking over from us, where Mark was doing his 25th good deed and Jonathan his 50th good deed!

For session 2 at Sprowston, myself and Sophie joined Elizabeth, Fu-Fu, Jenny, Andy and Sam who stayed on to do back to back sessions.

Jenny continued to created her master piece hanging basket, Andy & Sam continued to varnish the new plant stands while Fu-Fu and Sophie were planting new flowers (I can't remember what they're called) and me and Elizabeth also planted some other new flowers (again, I can't remember what they're called haha).

It was great to help the community garden while having a good chat to everyone, the hour flew by, which is a sign we were having a great time, which we were!!!

On a warm, sunny evening 10 Goodgymers, cycled, ran, walked and drove to Sprowston Hub for more gardening work. We nearly lost Jasmine and FuFu looking for us at the front of the building while we were around the back. There were a number of different task tonight, so Mike gathered us together, told us what was required and we divided ourselves into groups, went to our posts to wait for him to explain what was needed group by group. The most important task required a lady according to Mike so Jen was volunteered, it became evident this was quite an intricate task, involving making up a hanging basket, punching holes through the lining with an evil looking knife and adding plants. Thank goodness I’m no lady I couldn’t have managed that task. Luckily Jen had signed up to session 2 to continue her basket weaving! Meanwhile Andy and Sam were varnishing the wooden market stall stands, Andy managed to spill some on the floor, tut tut. Jasmine task was potting up plants in the greenhouse, while the rest of us were clearing the cold frames of pot plants, putting the frames back, the other cold frame had to be stripped of dead plants then pots put into the cleared frame and covered with compost, frames put back in. Last job was using concrete blocks to edge a flower bed at the back of the site. I have to say at this point I was definitely the Supervisor letting the males dig, lift and place the blocks into a fantastic looking edge. It was time to finish and have a group photo. Luckily Hitch arrived for Session 2 and was able to take the photo. Well done everyone